Speed Stinger (A HTTYD Fanfic)
by ElianaRobinson.RW
Summary: While Hiccup is away a dangerous enemy comes to play. A fearsome, and deadly wild Dragon leads an elusive attack upon Berk, forcing Stoick to discover some hard truths about Dragons, Himself and that of his son's Best Friend…and not the four-legged one.


**Speed Stinger**

Stoick's mind was reeling, where in Thor's name did those Dragons come from! They attacked out of nowhere like a Changewing but were faster than …than Oden's Beard knows what!

The entire village had been over run in minutes, people being frozen by the feral creatures sting-er tails… things! Whatever! They'd attacked his village, harmed his people!

He didn't have his son's knowledge of Dragons he'd only heard Fishleg's call the name out moments before his Dragon got hit.

Now they were all heading to the cove in one big defeated and terrified huddle, hiding amongst the trees, sentries at all points, for what good it'll do. The beasts moved faster than a Viking could see!

Riled and in a temper he took a moment to take a few deep breaths. It was almost dawn and the creatures had disappeared. Stoick had taken the moment to evacuate his people from the village to the refuge of the Cove…or what he hoped to be a secure place to hide. It still irked him that he was reduced to hiding, he was a Viking! By Oden's grit! He didn't hide, but he had to concede for the sake of his people there was no way to fight a Speed Stinger…thing.

It was then, looking up through the thick bulky trees he saw Astrid. His son's friend. Some might say more than just his friend. Stoick had always suspected but had never voiced the question, feeling it only fair to let the two of them work it out, although there had been times when he'd wanted to smack the pair's heads together. Their antics were driving the whole village nuts! Always together, and yet always in denial. It hadn't escaped his notice, or anyone else, that she'd kissed his son that first time after the battle of the Red Death. The lass had kissed Hiccup in front of the _whole_ village, Dragons and Vikings alike!

He'd felt sure then that they were…well, that they…anyway it seemed not so much…until….well, so many times with so many instances!….

Now, the young thing looked positively forlorn. Walking amongst the group and yet to the side of them. Her axe draped over her right shoulder. Her head down. He walked over to her and gently elbowed the arm holding the axe. She looked up with a weak smile, trying to put a brave face on. To act the fearless cold hearted Warrior she wanted everyone to believe she was. He'd brought the act too, once, and still would have were it not for the endless moments he'd witness between his son and her, the moments that defied all bravery, or heartlessness.

The lass cared. Ain't nothing wrong with that. Trouble was she believed there was.

"What's eating ya, lass?" He asked in his lightest of tones. Falling into step beside her though keeping his eyes on the shadows around them. Mindful of those beasts, lurking somewhere.

"Nothing, Chief. I'm fine."

He sent her a look, one that had compelled his son many times to open up, confess or in Hiccup's case blurt out in a breathless rambling of words he barely understood.

It seemed the two were more alike than he'd thought. Astrid crumbled instantly. Just like his son. Though Stoick sensed she resented her lack of defence.

"I just keep thinking…what if Hiccup doesn't make it back before….before the Speed Stingers return and I get – what if I never get – to tell him –"

Stoick grinned knowingly.

"You love him, I know." He stated calmly.

"I…I , I mean That is to say I-"

Astrid stammered nervously unnerved and turning a deep shade of red that she'd let such a sacred fact be so readily readable in her voice. They each spoke as they walked to the cove, each invested in their own thoughts and their conversation and yet at the same time on guard, on the lookout for any Speed Singers to have tracked them to the secluded sanctuary. The only place they hoped would be safe. Each spoke as they walked and each kept a weather eye out towards the setting moon skimming in and out of the frozen snow clouds.

Stoick took a moment to place a fatherly hand upon Astrid's shoulder. She turned and looked up at him with such uncertainty and sadness in her eyes that Stoick felt his heart go out to her, he saw all the children in his village as his own, none more so than Astrid, he had always considered her like a daughter, and what a fine daughter she was. Spirited, strong and courageous. She had smarts about her too and she wasn't one to take any grit from that Jorgensen boy either. He would be proud to have called her his daughter, as it was he was proud to be her Chief, and it would seem perhaps someday she would become his daughter-in-law.

"Astrid, it's alright,"

Though he could see she was conflicted about her feelings for his son. He once had felt like that, and he'd lost the one thing he'd cherished most. Foolish pride had delayed his marriage to Hiccup's Mother and every day he regretted the extra time they could have had together. He had to stop this young one from make his mistakes.

To feel wasn't to make you weak.

"I loved his mother much the same, a love like that makes you stronger in battle, not weaker."

Oh, how he recalled the battles he'd fought fiercer, smarter because he had something to fight for, something to come home to.

"Never try to hide from it, it can be your greatest weapon-"

A surreal shriek split apart the air and Stoick broke from his conversation and looked up upon the hilltop where a red headed Speed Stinger stood with an army of green Dragons racing over the hill in a blur towards them. The big one screeched again and then followed his fellow Dragons to the tasty humans below.

Stoick drew his sword and tugged Astrid behind him.

"Defensive positions Astrid! Every one to the cove quick as you can!" He roared the command all Father figure gone in his place nothing but a Chief and Warrior. Astrid instantly turned her back to his, her axe at the ready as they covered each other. Back to back they turned in a cycle.

He didn't even see the pack of Speed Stingers that lunged at him from both sides. He heard Astrid call out as fire separated them and then he felt the nasty sting of seven Nasty buggers!

And then he lost the ability to move at all.

END

Eliana Robinson

29/9/16

CREATION DATE – 29/9/16

PUBLISH DATE – 30/9/16

RE-EDITED DATE – 19/1/17

 _Speed Stinger Disclaimer_

 **SPEED STINGER** **\- is a Fanfiction of HOW TO TRAIN YOUR DRAGON I do not own the characters or original plotline.**

PLOTLINE **:** **While Hiccup is away a dangerous enemy comes to play. A fearsome, and deadly wild Dragon leads an elusive attack upon Berk, forcing Stoick to discover some hard truths about Dragons, Himself and that of his son's Best Friend…and not the four-legged one.**

 **This story is** _NOT_ **for official publication or profit.**

 **SPEED STINGER** **is a single short tale in an unofficially link series between all my HTTYD fanfics and is purely meant as entertainment.**

 **CREATION DATE – 29/9/** **16**

 **PUBLISH DATE – 30/** **9/16**

 **RE-EDITED DATE – 19/1/17**

Now part of the "Dragon Adventures" Series By Eliana Robinson

Twin Stories Born (created) at the same time and released together….. _Speed Stinger_ and _Heather's Insistence_!


End file.
